Ectoplasmic Apparition
An Ectoplasmic Apparition, or spirit or ghost, is a supernatural entity most commonly takes the form of the faint imprint of a being's soul that is still left upon the planet after death. They are a non-corporeal entity and tend to leave traces of ectoplasm, which is the substance of supernatural and spiritual energies emanating from the fabric of spacetime. Fairies and angels also would theoretically fall underneath this banner, though none have been confirmed in scientific observation. Spirits can be exorcised and forced out of existence by a wizard or a notably devout clergyman such as a priest. Spirits for this reason are afraid of wizards and will typically stay far away from Red Matter sources, as the exotic magical material interferes with their ability to haunt and in some cases will paralyze them or forcibly eject them into subspace or force them to 'move on'. History Ghosts have appeared in folklore throughout history in almost all cultures. They have been reported in various forms, though a good portion of record forms seem to conform to modern standards of ghost classification, indicating that many of them may have been legitimate. Ghost sightings increased during the 1800s, along with the rise of magic. This however is likely because the increase of wizards simply meant more people who could find ghosts due to wizards having a higher chance of seeing ectoplasm than typical beings. In the 1960s, ecto-goggles were developed by researchers allowing them to clearly see spirits unaided, regardless of whether the spirits chose to manifest or not. This major breakthrough allowed disposal and ejection teams to more effectively perform their work, as they no longer had to search randomly in hopes of catching an apparition. Modern times In modern times, ghost hunting is a niche hobby, though it is officially discouraged by most town, state and federal governments due to the tendency of the act to provoke the apparitions and cause complications, not to mention paperwork, when disposal teams have to be deployed to deal with a raging ghost. Charlie Lang and Camden Kolt encountered a ghost at Tanglewood Manor in Roosevelt Heights in May of 2029. Characteristics Ghosts are beings that have for one reason or another refused to move onto the unknown realm after death. Their reasons for remaining bound to Earth are often unfinished business, a desire for vengeance for those who have wronged them (for example a murderer), because they are fearful of what lies beyond, or more rarely, simply because they have not even noticed that they had died and resumed their normal activities as usual. * Ghosts can be seen in various forms, ranging from a mist to an accurate bodily representation of how they looked as they expired, to a monstrous, feral and horrific deformation exaggeration of what they were in life, in the case of the less benign examples observed. * Ghosts have varying levels of cohesion in their manifestations. In all these cases, a chilling sensation is reported by observers within the apparition's field of effect. It is important to note that in some cases visual contact will not be established depending on whether the spirit wishes to manifest itself to the living. They can be seen clearly in any state by ecto-goggles regardless as long as the goggles are on. As ghosts linger on earth longer, they slowly begin to become focal points of ectoplasmic energies, enabling them to interact in a very limited extent with the corporeal world. ** Class-I : Ghosts in this class are generally barely visible or perceptible, manifesting as only a simple mist or appearing as fog. They will generally be ignored or not even noticed, as there is not really any way for them to communicate with the living. ** Class-II: Ghosts in this class take the form of a blurred shape and are seen fading in and out at random, odd intervals. Many may dismiss this sight as a trick of the light unless it is seen often. ** 'Class-III: '''Ghosts in this state cannot manipulate any objects or touch, but they can be sometimes seen in a humanoid form that is somewhat vague. They cannot speak to living people. Identification may be possible with an estimated guess but generally is not confirmed. ** '''Class-IV: '''Ghosts sometimes can move objects. In extreme cases ghosts may cause interference with the local power grid if their presence is exceptionally strong. They may be able to speak to living beings, and their form is detailed and realistic enough to accurately identify the deceased individual. At this point the manifestation should be reported to the authorities to be indexed. (ULC, USDOMA, AECIF) ** '''Class-V: '''At their most powerful, ghosts may sometimes be able to even blend in with the living, able to eat, drink, speak with people, and manipulate objects, taking a solid, opaque form. However all persons within the vicinity will feel cold and unnatural, and the person will always be regarded as strange due to this class containing people who have died a hundred or more years ago, giving time for the apparition to build ectoplasmic energy. In the event of complications, it is advised that a ''Special Supernatural Tactics Team (SSTT) be deployed to negotiate or if necessary eject the ghost from reality. * Ghosts do not necessarily have to be bound to a single location after death, though this is common if the spirit has a strong emotional attachment to the location. The stronger the attachment, the stronger the bond the spirit has to the locale, and the less possible it is for them to wander off. Ghosts will, in more severe cases, attempt to walk the same paths they did in life. If the building has been refitted / reconfigured since their death, they will simply walk through walls and climb no-longer existent stairs. regarding supernatural hauntings and how to understand them. ]] Ghosts can voluntarily move onwards, and will simply dematerialize and fade into nothingness. Ghosts that require more convincing can be forcibly ejected from the world of the living with a wand, sophisticated technology, or a traditional but effective religious exorcism. Throwing holy water upon their manifestations also appears to have some effect. Legal Status Ghosts do not have any legal protection in any country on Earth. When found they are either left alone provided they are not too bothersome to the current resident, or if they prove to be problematic, they are promptly ejected by supernatural task forces who have little tolerance for haunting as it is inconvenient, irksome, and disruptive. Attitudes towards ghosts tend to be that they have lived their life and are unfairly using resources of the living by continuing to linger. However some groups and individuals are willing to help ghosts finish their unfinished business so they can transition onwards into the unknown.